1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an imaging device and recording control system, and can be suitably applied to, for example, a video camera system in which a video camera is connected to a personal computer.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recently, home video cameras and digital versatile disc (DVD) players are in widespread use, and at the same time, personal computers have become increasingly sophisticated. Under the circumstances, the number of users who transfers images obtained by means of a video camera and output-images of a DVD player to a personal computer to store these images on recording media such as an incorporated hard disk drive or an externally inserted rewritable DVD has increased.
FIG. 1 shows a video camera system 1 in which a video camera 2 and personal computer 3 are connected with each other through a communication cable 4 conforming, for example, to the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 1394 standard. Transferring an image of an object obtained by means of the video camera 2 to the personal computer 3 will be explained below.
The personal computer 3 starts an image copying routine RT1 shown in FIG. 2 from step SP0 with the video camera 2 connected thereto. Subsequently, in step SP1, the personal computer 3 waits for a start-up request, for a data copy operation (hereinafter referred to as DVD creation) from the video camera 2 onto a rewritable DVD, to be issued by a user's operation.
If YES in step SP1, the flow advances to step SP2 and the personal computer 3 runs an application for DVD creation. Thereafter, in step SP3, the personal computer 3 transmits a predetermined control command to the video camera 2 through the communication cable 4 to allow the video camera 2 to transmit an imaging result to the personal computer 3 through the communication cable 4.
Subsequently, in step SP4, the personal computer 3 controls an image recording section incorporated therein to record the imaging result transferred from the video camera 2 on the inserted DVD.
The personal computer 3 determines whether a termination of DVD creation is requested by user's operation in step SP5. If YES in step SP5, the flow advances to step SP6, and the personal computer 3 exits the application for DVD creation, and the image copying routine RT1 ends in step SP7.
On the other hand, if NO in step SP5, the personal computer 3 determines whether the data copy operation for the DVD has already been completed or not in step SP8.
When the personal computer 3 determines, in step SP8, that the DVD creation has been completed, the flow advances to step S7 and the image copying routine RT1 ends. On the other hand, when the personal computer 3 determines that the DVD creation has not been completed, the flow returns to step SP3, and the same processes as above are repeated.
As described above, in the conventional video camera system 1, the user operates the personal computer 3 with the video camera 2 connected to the personal computer 3, thereby attaining the data copy operation from the video camera 2 to the personal computer 3 (refer to, for example, Japanese Patent Laid Open No. 2000-32321 (Pages 21 to 22, FIGS. 30 to 33))
However, the video camera system 1 has a disadvantage that the copy operation of the imaging result of the video camera 2 to the DVD inserted into the personal computer 3 cannot be carried out unless the personal computer 3 is operated by the user.
In practice, a user firstly operates the personal computer 3 to run a predetermined application for DVD creation, and then, the user must set a starting point of capturing the imaging data or a bit rate at the time of DVD creation according to instructions from the application in some cases, and must give instructions related to a series of operations from the start of DVD creation to the end of the application using the personal computer 3. Therefore, it is difficult for the user who cannot fully handle the personal computer 3 to carry out the operation.
Further, after the personal computer 3 has been started up, control of the video camera 2 is conducted at the initiative of the personal computer 3. Accordingly, it is impossible to operate the application provided with the personal computer 3 and confirm the progress of the application respectively from the video camera 2. It follows that when the user visually confirms the progress of the data copy operation with attention only to the video camera 2, it is impossible to know which operation is in progress, for example, whether the imaging data is being captured or the imaging data is being recorded on the DVD. In this case, erroneous operations may occur. For example, the user may unplug the communication cable 4 conforming to IEEE 1394 standard to cancel the DVD creation, manipulate an operation panel on the video camera 2 when the capturing is in progress to stop tape running, or eject the videotape at capturing time.